Offensive outburst leads SEMO Strokers to win over Jackson Senior Babe Ruth

Like all Babe Ruth baseball teams, the SEMO Strokers want to win a state championship, but to do so they have to produce on offense, something the Strokers have struggled with this season.

The Strokers, officially the Advance Senior Babe Ruth team, took a step in the right direction on offense, defeating the Jackson Senior Babe Ruth Cyclones 13-2 on Monday at Jackson Legion Field.

"We keep preaching approach and they're probably tired of hearing it, but tonight I think it finally clicked," Strokers' coach Chris Ausmus said. "We're a young team and guys at this age like to do their own thing, but everyone took great approaches at the plate tonight and capitalized on every opportunity to score runs."

Each member of the Strokers lineup had at least one hit and they finished with 14 hits as a team.

Strokers starting pitcher Zane Eggiman picked up the win on the mound and said he was more relaxed than he had been all summer due to the extra run support the Strokers' offense provided.

"It makes it a lot easier pitching-wise," Eggiman said. "I felt comfortable because I could make pitches where I normally wouldn't put them just to see what Jackson would do. It just makes my job a lot easier when I have the run support I did tonight."

Eggiman, a recent Advance graduate, improved his record to 2-1. He struck out 10 batters over the course of seven innings, giving up just five hits and two earned runs.

All of Eggiman's pitches were working for him, but he said his curveball in particular felt good and is what he believes led to many of his strikeouts.

"When I threw it right it was going exactly where I wanted it to," Eggiman said. "As the game went on that really opened up some of my other grips to where I could throw a little bit of everything to fool guys and get them out."

Eggiman also said his changeup became more effective as the game went on. In the seventh, Eggiman struck out the side and said he used his changeup to strikeout all three batters.

"It can be nasty at times and throw guys off," Eggiman said. "I'm trying to prefect all of my pitches, but right now those are the two pitches I'm working on most."

Oran High School student Ben Heuring got things going early for the Strokers on offense. The lead-off man singled in the first then stole second base to put himself in scoring position.

Heuring advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt off the bat of Austin Hicks and scored when Cyclone's starting pitcher Ryan Lohman balked to give the Stroker's a 1-0 lead.

The Cyclones answered in the bottom half of the first when Adam Farris singled to score Lane Henson from second base and tie the game. Henson reached earlier in the inning on a fielder's choice and stole second.

Heuring got things going for the Strokers again in the third inning with a walk. Heuring stole second again then advanced to third on a passed ball and scored on a Dawson Mayo double making it 2-1 Strokers.

Heuring finished 1 for 2 with two walks, a single, four runs scored and three stolen bases.

Ausmus said Heuring is vital piece to the Strokers' offense given his speed and ability to get on base.

"When you get a lead-off guy on you have to take advantage," Ausmus said. "Heuring's ability to get on base tonight and put himself in scoring position gave us an advantage that we haven't had too much this season, but it was nice to see it happen over and over again and it's something we have to keep doing."

Leopold graduate Dillan Vandeven kept the offense going in the third with a single that scored Mayo to put the Strokers up 3-1. Peyton Maddox followed with a double to advance Vandeven to third, then Vandeven scored on a passed ball that rolled to the backstop making it 4-1.

In the sixth, the Strokers tacked on four more runs to extend their lead to 8-1.

Mayo got his second and third RBIs on a single to right that scored Heuring and Hicks, who both walked to begin the inning. Mayo went 2 for 4 with a walk.

The Cyclones scored their only other run in the sixth, an RBI double off the bat of Farris, which scored Henson to make it 8-2.

Lohman received the loss, giving up eight runs and nine hits in six innings.

He was relieved by Landon Jinks in the seventh inning, who proceeded to give up five runs on five hits to the Strokers.

Thomas Trankler and Vandeven had two RBIs apiece in the inning. Trankler doubled to right field which scored Heuring and Hicks.

Vandeven drove in his second and third RBI's of the day on a single to left field. The base hit scored Mayo and Trankler to put the Strokers up 12-2.

"We're young, we're going to experience a lot of failure before we experience success," Ausmus said. "But we have to make transitions and adjustments and stay consistent with them all the way down the road to our state tournament."

The Strokers will play in the Charleston Woodbat Tournament beginning Thursday.